Twin sisters who were viciously attacked by a crocodile before one of them fought it off will swim again in a river race, despite initial fears about returning to the water.
Georgia and Melissa Laurie were swimming in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido, Mexico, in June 2021 when they spotted a crocodile heading toward them.
Speaking to Yalda Hakim on Sky News’ The World, the twins recounted the attack that left them fearing they would both die – and the heroic rescue that changed things.
Now, the sisters plan to get back in the water, swimming 8 miles across the river.
Melissa, who was attacked and dragged away by the crocodile, told Sky News: “We’re actually going back into the water, it was Georgia’s crazy idea for us to swim the Thames Marathon, which is 8 miles.
“We have been doing some training. At first getting back into the water was scary and things like being tired were a trigger and having water getting into my lungs reminded me of drowning.
“But I think the more we start swimming, the more we’ll get used to being back in the water.”
The twins pictured after the attack
Georgia, from Sandhurst on Berkshiredescribed how the sisters went to see the bioluminescence on the day of the attack, but they timed it wrong and couldn’t make it, so they went for a walk on the beach instead.
With the sun shining and the weather pleasant, they also went swimming, but it was then that Melissa saw the crocodile coming towards her.
Georgia told Sky News: “We started swimming frantically and the next thing I heard was Melissa screaming because it took her underwater.
“It was a very scary moment, at that moment I thought one of us was going to die, I just didn’t know who it would be.”
Melissa described a friend reaching out to her, about to pull her to safety, before the crocodile “ripped off” her hand and “dragged” her back under the water a second time.
During the “brute force” attack, she said her life began to flash before her eyes, but it was then that her sister Georgia launched a desperate attempt to save her.
Georgia said: “It was a very visceral and primal response. That was the only choice I had, right?
“I went back to try to find her and I saw her body floating towards me in the mangroves and that’s when the fight started because the crocodile came back and snatched her from me.
“So I started punching. I’m just going to hell with the leather, really.”
She added: “I didn’t know if I was going to live alone… when I saw her I thought she was dead.”
Read more on Sky News:
Manchester’s beleaguered Co-op Live arena finally opens
Ant McPartlin ‘a mess’ as he welcomes first child with wife
Keep up with the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Georgia repeatedly punched the crocodile in the face until the twins could escape.
Both women were seriously injured but survived after treatment.
Melissa survived with a compound fracture to her wrist, serious puncture wounds to her abdomen and multiple injuries to her leg and foot, while Georgia was bitten on her hand.
Georgia also receive the King’s Medal of Braverywhich recognizes exemplary acts of bravery.
She said the medal was an “honor” that left her “very shocked.”
“I didn’t expect it, I didn’t expect it,” she said.
‘I feel really privileged, it’s a silver lining to have come out of this terrible ordeal…it takes the edge off the whole traumatic experience.’
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
